Shuttle checking apparatus



Eept. I8, 1956 T. P. BOSTIC SHUTTLE cx-nzcxmc APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1955 I NVEN TOR TAMDICO D BosTlc ATTORNEYS Sept. 18, 1956 T. P. BO-STIC SHUTTLE CHECKING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1955- INVENTORI TAMmco P Bosnc ATTORNEY5 United States Patent SHUTTLE CHECKING APPARATUS Tampico P. Bostic, Gaffney, S. C.

Application September 16, 1955, Serial No. 534,761

8 Claims. (Cl. 139-186) This invention relates to fly shuttle looms and, more especially, to improved shuttle boxes embodying improved means for checking or frictionally retarding the incoming shuttle.

The conventional shuttle box generally comprises a lay-end plate on which spaced stationary front and rear wall members or box plates are secured and the shuttle checking means usually includes a binder pivoted in the rear shuttle box plate or wall, or to the lay-end plate, at its end remote from the center of the lay, the binder serving to check the shuttle by frictional engagement with one side thereof. This type of binder projects through a lon gitudinal slot formed in the rear wall of the shuttle box and thus interrupts the continuity of the shuttle box back wall with respect to the reed and, also, since the pivot point of the binder is positioned remotely from the center of the lay, or adjacent the outer end of the lay-end plate, the force acting to retard or check the shuttle gradually increases as the shuttle approaches the end of its movement into the shuttle box.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved shuttle checking apparatus wherein the greatest retarding force is applied to the incoming shuttle as the shuttle initially engages the binder, to thereby suddenly substantially retard the incoming movement of the shuttle and, as the shuttle continues its movement into the shuttle box, the forces acting on the leading end of the shuttle are gradually reduced, thus providing a smoother retarding action on the shuttle than has heretofore been attainable.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shuttle checking apparatus of the character described wherein the front wall of the shuttle box is pivoted on the lay-end plate at its end nearest the lay and the shuttle box front wall is urged rearwardly at its free end by lever means pivotally mounted on the rear portion of the lay-end plate and rearwardly of the rear wall of the shuttle box, with resilient means engaging the lever means to urge the end of the lever nearest the lay forwardly, thereby urging the outer end thereof rearwardly with a mechanical connection between the outer ends of the lever and the pivoted shuttle box front wall.

It is another object of this invention to provide a shuttle box construction of the character last described wherein the inner end of the lever is engaged by the conventional finger of the loom protection mechanism whereby, when a shuttle is boxed, the front wall of the shuttle box is pivoted forwardly at its outer end to pivot the inner end of the lever rearwardly to actuate the protection mechanism.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view at one end of the lay of a loom showing the improved shuttle box and checking apparatus mounted thereon with the parts in relaxed position;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the outer end of the 2,763,295 Patented Sept. 18, 1956 lay showing the improved shuttle box mounted thereon;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the improved shuttle box;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing the outer end of the shuttle box with a shuttle positioned therein;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing a shuttle in the shuttle box;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 66 in Figure l and illustrating the friction member carried by the back box plate;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 77 in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 88 in Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially along line 99 in Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the conventional lay of a loom, only a portion of one end of which is shown and which end is supported on a conventional sword 11 having an outwardly projecting flange portion 12 integral therewith. The sword also supports a conventional reed cap 13 and a conventional reed 14 is positioned between the reed cap 13 and the lay 10 in the usual manner. The sword 11 supports a conventional protection rod 15 for pivotal movement therein beneath the lay 10. The protection rod 15 is a part of a conventional protection mechanism which also includes a conventional dagger finger 16.

Each end of the lay it) supports a shuttle box, only one of which is shown in the drawings, the shuttle box shown being particularly adapted for use at the magazine side of an automatic filling replenishing loom, although it is to be distinctly understood that the principles of the present invention may be applied to any type of shuttle box. The improved checking apparatus is mounted upon a conventional lay-end plate 20 which serves as a base or bottom for the shuttle box and which has the usual longitudinally extending slot 21 therein to accommodate a conventional picker stick 22 having a picker 24 thereon which swings inwardly and outwardly in a conventional manner for propelling a shuttle S across the lay and for receiving the corresponding end of the shuttle S as the shuttle is thrown into the shuttle box by the picker stick and picker, not shown, at the other end of the lay.

The improved shuttle checking apparatus comprises an improved front box plate broadly designated at 30, an improved rear or back box plate broadly designated at 31 and a binder lever broadly designated at 32. The front box plate 30 is of generally conventional construction with the important exception that it is pivotally secured at its inner end adjacent the lay 10, to the lay-end plate 20, whereas the usual type of shuttle box front is fixed to the lay-end plate 20 at both ends thereof. In this instance, the inner end of the front box plate 30 is pivotally mounted on an eccentric bushing 34 fixed to the lay-end plate by a screw 35. The rear surface of the front box plate 39 has a suitable friction material 36 thereon, such as leather or the like and, since the shuttle box disclosed herein is positioned at the magazine side of the loom, the front box plate 30 is provided with an opening 37 in a medial portion thereof for accommodating the usual yarn cutting and clamping mechanisms, not shown. A slot 40 communicates with opening 37 and extends inwardly and is curved upwardly for directing the filling thread over a thread-guiding lip 41 on the inner upper portion of the front box plate 30.

The back box plate 31 is also of generally conventional construction to the extent that it includes a substantially vertical web portion 44, a rearwardly projecting lower flange portion 45 and an upper forwardly projecting and upwardly flaring flange portion 46, the latter upwardly flaring portion being provided at the inner end of the web portion 44. The web portion 44 is suitably secured at its inner end to the flange portion 12 of the corresponding sword 11, as by a bolt 47. A bolt 48 penetrates the exposed outer end of the bottom flange 45 to also secure the back box plate 31 to the lay-end plate 20. The back box plate 31 differs from conventional box plates in that the web portion 44, at its outer end, is provided with a pair of rearwardly projecting ears 50, 51 for pivotally supporting a medial portion of the binder lever 32 therebtween, as at 52 (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 8).

The back box plate 31 also has a novel friction strip supporting means embodied in a substantially rectangular rigid friction strip-supporting plate 55 which fits in a substantially correspondingly shaped recess 56 formed in the front surface of the web portion 44 of the back box plate 31 at its outer end opposite the front box plate 30. The upper and lower walls of the recess 56 are provided with grooves 57, 58 and it will be noted that the lower flange 45 of the back box plate 31 extends outwardly substantially beyond the outer end of the web portion 44 and the groove 58 also extends to the outermost end of the bottom flange 45 of the rear or back box plate 31.

The front face of the plate 55 has an elongated band of friction material 61, such as leather or the like, suitably secured thereto and screws 62 are provided for securing the band 61 and plate 55 to the rear wall of recess 56. When it is necessary to replace the friction strip 61, it is merely necessary to remove the screws 62 from the friction strip 61 and plate 55 and slide the plate 55 outwardly along the grooves 57, 58 and then remove the friction strip 61 from the plate 55 and replace the same with a new friction strip which may be adhesively tacked to the plate 55. Thereafter, the plate 55 may be again positioned in the groove 58, slid into the groove 57, positioned in the recess 56 and again secured therein by screws 62 in the manner shown in Figure 6.

Now, the rear surface of the binder lever 32 is engaged at its inner end by the protection rod actuating finger or dagger finger 16 and a medial portion of the binder lever, between the pivot point 52 and the dagger rod finger 16, is engaged by one end of a leaf spring member 65 which extends outwardly and downwardly at an angle and is suitably secured to the rear surface of the lay-end plate 20 as best shown in Figure 3. The outer end of the binder lever 32, which extends substantially beyond the web portion 44 of the back box binder 31, has a boss portion 66 which is provided with an opening 67 therethrough loosely penetrated by a link or bar 70. The rear end of the link or bar 70 has a head portion 71 thereon which is substantially larger than the opening 67 and which is held against the rear surface of the boss portion 66 of the binder lever 32 by a clip 72. Clip 72 extends inwardly and is suitably removably secured to the rear surface of the binder lever 32, as by screws 73 (Figures 1, 3 and 5).

The link or bar 70 extends forwardly from the binder lever 32 and is attached to the outer end of the pivoted front box plate 30, as by being threaded thereinto. A suitable lock nut 74 may be provided for locking the threaded front end of the link 70 in the threaded bore provided therefor in the free outer end of the pivoted front box plate 30. The front end of the link 70 is preferably attached to the free end of the front box plate in the manner described in order to permit adjustment of the displacement between the proximal surfaces of the binder lever 32 and the front box plate 30 for varying the amount of pressure exerted on the shuttle each time it is boxed, such pressure being exerted by the leaf spring member 65 and by the conventional protection mechanism, including the dagger finger 16 and protection rod 15.

In the absence of a shuttle in the shuttle box, the parts occupy a relaxed position substantially as shown in Figure 1 wherein it will be noted that the friction face 36 of the front box plate 30 occupies an angular position with respect to the path of travel of the shuttle and also with respect to the front face of the back box plate 31. Of course, since the back box plate 31 is stationary, it is apparent that the front surface of the web portion 44 thereof retains its position parallel to the front face of the reed 14 as best shown in Figure 5. Thus, as the shuttle enters the shuttle box, moving form left to right in Figure 1, it is apparent that its tapered leading end engages the friction face 36 of the front box plate 30 immediately adjacent and outwardly of the pivot point 35 so as to have a sudden relatively retarding affect on the shuttle S.

As the shuttle further advances into the shuttle box, and finally, to the position shown in Figure 5, the shuttle S swings the outer end of the front box plate forwardly so that, although the retarding force applied against the shuttle diminishes with its advancement into the corresponding shuttle box, the front box plate 30, in combination with the friction strip 61, nevertheless, has a continued checking affect on the shuttle. It is apparent that, as the shuttle S moves into the shuttle box between the front and back box plates 30, 31 and between the friction members 36, 61, the forward movement imparted to the outer end of the front box plate 30 imparts corresponding movement to the outer end of the binder lever 32 which, in turn, causes the inner end of the binder lever 32 to move rearwardly. This gradually increases the amount of resilient pressure exerted on the outer end of the front box plate 30, due to the flexing of the leaf spring member 65, and, also, due to the rearward movement imparted to the protection rod finger 16 by the inner end of the binder lever 32.

However, since the shuttle is moving toward the free end of the front box plate 30 and initially engages the front box plate 30 closely adjacent its fulcrum, the forces acting on the leading end of the shuttle are actually gradually reduced to provide a smooth retarding action on the shuttle and to enable subsequent smooth movement to be imparted to the shuttle by the picker stick.

It is well known in the art that the rearward movement of the protection rod finger 16 is necessary when the shuttle is boxed in order to permit continued loom operation, since, otherwise, the usual daggers, not shown, associated with the protection mechanism will cause loom stoppage.

It is thus seen that I have provided a novel form of shuttle box embodying an improved shuttle checking apparatus wherein the back box plate 31 remains stationary each time the shuttle is boxed and wherein the front box plate 30 is pivoted at its inner end and is so biased that it extends outwardly and rearwardly at an angle to the normal path of travel of the shuttle as it is thrown into the corresponding shuttle box so the shuttle acts much in the manner of a wedge; forcing the outer end of the front box plate 30 forwardly, so the impact of the shuttle entering the shuttle box is substantially reduced prior to or at substantially the same time that the outer or leading end of the shuttle engages the picker 24. Thus, the force of the incoming shuttle is entirely taken up by the improved shuttle checking apparatus rather than by engagement of the Shuttle with the picker. This not only provides a more etficient checking means for the incoming shuttle, but it also avoids objectionable wear and mutilation of the picker.

It is apparent that the amount of force exerted on the incoming shuttle by the front box plate 30 may be varied merely by varying the displacement between the proximal surfaces of the outer ends of the front box plate 30 and the binder lever 32.

Also, the pivoted inner end of the front box plate 30 may be accurately adjusted to and from the back box plate to accommodate worn or extra large shuttles by loosening screw 34, turning the eccentric bushing 35 in the desired direction, and then tightening the screw 34.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box; an improved shuttle checking apparatus comprising a front box plate for the shuttle box, means pivotally connecting the inner end only of the front box plate to the lay, and means normally maintaining the front box plate at an angle to the direction of movement of an incoming shuttle and being yieldable upon engagement of an incoming shuttle with the front box plate to check the shuttle.

2. An improved shuttle checking apparatus for a shuttle box of a loom, said loom having a lay for supporting said shuttle box, a reed, a shuttle and a picker movable longitudinally of said shuttle box for picking the shuttle; said shuttle checking apparatus comprising a stationary back box plate having its front surface alined with the front surface of the reed, a front box plate pivotally supported adjacent its inner end on the lay, and resilient means urging the outer end of the front box plate rearwardly so that it extends at an angle to the path of travel to the incoming shuttle whereby the incoming shuttle engages and swings the front box plate forwardly at its outer end to check the shuttle as it is boxed.

3. A structure according to claim 2 wherein said front box plate is provided with a rear friction surface thereon.

4. An improved shuttle checking apparatus for a shuttle box of a loom, said loom having a lay for supporting said shuttle box, a reed, a shuttle, and a picker movable longitudinally of said shuttle box for picking the shuttle; said shuttle checking apparatus comprising a stationary back box plate having its front surface alined with the front surface of the reed, a front box plate having its inner end pivotally supported by the lay, a lever pivotally supported by said back box plate rearwardly of the front surface of the back box plate and projecting outwardly therefrom, a link connecting the outer end of the front box plate with the outer end of said lever, and resilient means urging said lever rearwardly at its outer end to correspondingly normally bias the outer end of the front box plate rearwardly so that it extends at an angle to the path of travel to the incoming shuttle whereby the incoming shuttle engages and swings the front box plate forwardly at its outer end to check the shuttle as it is boxed.

5. A structure according to claim 4 having means for adjusting the effective length of said link between the proximal outer ends of the lever and the front box plate to correspondingly vary the angle at which the front box plate extends relative to the path of travel of a shuttle in the absence of a shuttle being boxed.

6. In a structure according to claim 4, said back box plate having an elongated substantially vertically disposed web portion thereon with its outer end being spaced inwardly of the outer end of said lever, said web portion having a shallow longitudinally extending substantially rectangular recess in its front surface and at its outer end, the upper and lower Walls of said recess having complementary grooves in their proximal surfaces, a substantially rectangular and relatively thin rigid plate positioned in said recess and having its upper and lower edges loosely fitting in said complementary grooves, removable means securing said rigid plate to the back box plate, and an elongated friction element secured to the front face of said rigid plate.

7. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said loom is provided with a protection rod mechanism including a forwardly biased dagger finger and said lever having an inwardly projecting portion thereon engageable with the front surface of the dagger finger whereby forward movement of the outer end of the lever effected by an incoming shuttle imparts rearward movement to the dagger finger.

8. A structure according to claim 7 wherein said resilient means includes a spring urging the inner portion of said binder lever forwardly toward the rear surface of the back box plate, and means for adjusting the effective length of the link between the proximal outer ends of the lever and the front box plate to correspondingly vary the angle at which the front box plate extends relative to the path of travel of a shuttle in the absence of a shuttle being boxed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 849,967 Blumer-Kunz Apr. 9, 1907 2,497,711 Abbott et a]. Feb. 14, 1950 2,501,394 Freniere Mar. 21, 1950 

